Park Primary School

Inspection of Park Primary School Park Primary School, Mathews Park Avenue, London E15 4AE

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 10 and 11 May 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a very happy school, with leaders dedicated to serving the pupils and their families in the local community. Pupils said that during long school holidays, they cannot wait to get back to class. They accurately describe teachers and other staff as helpful, doing all that they can to give them a good education. Leaders strive to be and are successful in ensuring that pupils achieve well in their studies.

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What is it like to attend this school?

A kind and caring ambience permeates the school. From the moment children join the early years they are taught how to behave and care for others. Pupils build up excellent working relationships with adults and their peers. As a result, pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. They value and respect diversity. It also means that bullying is virtually unheard of. Pupils know that they can approach any adult for help if they have any worries or concerns. Even during the holidays, they can make contact with safeguarding staff via the online ‘worry monster’ tool.

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What is it like to attend this school?

From early years onwards, leaders provide pupils with multiple enrichment opportunities. These include access to external organisations that support pupils in nurturing their talents. For example, pupils can audition for scholarships to be trained to perform in musical theatre productions.

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better?

Leaders have developed an ambitious, broad and rich curriculum. They are highly committed to inclusion. Many pupils join the school mid-phase during the year. They often arrive with little or no knowledge of English. Leaders ensure that those pupils are given bespoke support to learn English quickly.

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better?

Leaders also have established systems in place to identify and assess the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders have recently trained staff on how to better plan to meet the needs of pupils with SEND in their classes. Staff make every effort to help these pupils access the same curriculum as their peers. They do so with success. Nevertheless, leaders identified that there needs to be some further training to sharpen staff’s knowledge of very best practice. There has been a large increase in the number of neurodivergent pupils joining the school. Leaders have thus created a small bespoke provision for those with the highest level of need. Those pupils are integrated as far as possible into lessons with their peers. They participate in all other aspects of school life.

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better?

Teaching reading has a high priority. Staff across the school have the skills and expertise to teach phonics effectively. Children are taught to read very soon after entering the Reception class. Staff use assessment well to check on pupils’ knowledge. All pupils who need help to catch up receive targeted support. Pupils develop into confident and fluent readers. 10 and 11 May 2023

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Subject leaders have identified what they want pupils to know, and when, from early years to Year 6. Staff benefit from regular professional development. This supports them in gaining expertise across the subjects. Teachers create a positive learning environment. They choose teaching activities that are subject appropriate and match the ambition of the planned curriculum. In the early years classrooms, carefully selected resources support children’s progression in all areas of learning very well. This approach is not as well established in the outdoor provision.

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Staff check often on pupils’ learning. They use the information to address knowledge gaps and misconceptions. As a result, pupils achieve well.

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Leaders keep the curriculum under regular review. Where they identify weaknesses, they plan actions to make improvements. In a few subjects, leaders have recently changed or refined the curriculum content. Staff are receiving ongoing training to help them implement these improvements, including in mathematics. Pupils’ outcomes in the 2022 key stage 2 mathematics assessments were not strong. The gaps in pupils’ knowledge were exacerbated by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and despite teachers’ efforts, some pupils struggled to get back on track with their learning. Leaders and teachers are paying close attention to current pupils’ needs. They are working to ensure that the planning and delivery of the mathematics curriculum enables current pupils to catch up quickly.

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Across the school, staff deliberately teach pupils how to behave, be kind and value and respect everybody. In the early years, children are attentive. They move freely between the classrooms and outdoor areas in a sensible and considerate manner. Pupils are incredibly keen to learn and welcome the opportunities to share their ideas with many others. They enjoy that they rotate their learning partners every fortnight, for example.

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Across the year groups, pupils are taught the concept and importance of consent. Pupils visit many places such as museums and several places of worship. There are plentiful clubs on offer. These include outdoor construction, roller skating, art and musical production. Pastoral support is excellent. It includes access to the school’s social worker and every Year 6 pupil has an adult mentor. Staff support pupils in carrying out activities to raise funds for various charities. There are opportunities for pupils to attend a poet’s retreat. Older pupils attend sessions by trained staff to support their mental health and build their resilience.

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Staff morale is high and they enjoy working at this school. They said that leaders are very considerate of their workload and well-being.

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Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the school. They are appreciative of the education that their children are receiving. They are also grateful for all the wider family support that school staff give them.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 10 and 11 May 2023

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Leaders and staff have regular safeguarding training. They know pupils and their families very well. There is a strong culture of vigilance and reporting. Leaders ensure that pupils and, when relevant, their families, get timely support for safeguarding and welfare needs.

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Through the curriculum and external workshops, pupils are taught about risk and how to stay safe. This includes when going online and the dangers of gangs and grooming. They are taught how to seek help if they are worried. Leaders also offer similar workshops for parents.

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There are suitable arrangements in place for vetting applicants’ suitability for working with pupils.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have refined their thinking and planning to secure improvements in how pupils are helped to gain deep knowledge and understanding. In a small number of subjects, this process of refinement has been recently undertaken and it is, therefore, still a work in progress. This means that, in those few subjects, pupils do not yet routinely achieve as well as they could. Leaders should ensure that they build on the work they have started and embed a strong curriculum across these subjects so that pupils can achieve their full potential.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 10 and 11 May 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10227020 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 22 March 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 School leaders do not make use of any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, computing and Spanish. Inspectors held discussions with leaders and teachers, visited lessons, looked at examples of pupils’ work and held discussions with pupils. Inspectors also considered other subjects as part of the inspection.  Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, other senior leaders, the chair of governors and two other governors. They also spoke with a local authority representative. 10 and 11 May 2023

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 Inspectors reviewed a range of documentation, including information related to safeguarding and the checks carried out before the appointment of staff. Inspectors looked at records of pupils’ behaviour.  Inspectors had formal meetings with staff and with pupils. They spoke with parents in the playground and took account of the responses to the online Ofsted Parent View survey. They also considered the responses to the staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

David Radomsky, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Katerina Christodoulou Ofsted Inspector 10 and 11 May 2023

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regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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